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AIBU?

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Original poster

Ticket etiquette??

143 replies

Ticketsarenotfree · 22/09/2024 12:29

So my husband and I had tickets to an event but he can't go because he's got COVID. I said on my group chat that if anyone wanted they could buy it off me at £10 discount. A 'friend' then put a laughing emoji and said I must be joking.

I don't want to go on my own, but I also don't want to lose money. What's the etiquette here, am I supposed to just give the ticket away?

OP posts:
FriYayyy · 22/09/2024 13:14

"e-ticket etiquette"

Impossible to say this out loud without laughing 😂

TheJones · 22/09/2024 13:14

I’ve had this lots where I’ve had a ticket and have given it away for free. However I wouldn’t anymore. It pisses me off as I’ve never been offered a free ticket . A lot of people I know offer and then say the price and expect money for it - so I prefer to waste the tickets now and go alone / with a spare seat!

FriYayyy · 22/09/2024 13:15

Or she might mean "you must be joking, why would I want to pay £50 to sit with you all evening catching Covid"

redtrain123 · 22/09/2024 13:19

Don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. If they wanted a bigger discount, they could have asked.

The only other explanation that I can think off is that by saying, no way, they meant that ‘no way would they want to see The Chucckke Brothers’ (or whoever, ) live.

CleansUpButWouldPreferNotTo · 22/09/2024 13:20

I think it's fair enough to see if anyone wants to buy it - if not, go alone and look out for people wanting to buy a ticket. Happens all the time at sports matches, why not for a play or a concert too.

Thewolvesarerunningagain · 22/09/2024 13:22

you could try one of the ticket resale sites, depending how far off the event is.

PurpleRobe · 22/09/2024 13:22

I would have offered the ticket for free

AmeliaEarache · 22/09/2024 13:23

YABU and a massive cheapskate.

The money is spent, it's lost. Your spent it for your DH to have a nice time and he's ill, so that's money gone. Your choices now are to go on your own or to use DH's ticket to invite a friend.

If you were trying to sell both tickets at a reduced price, that's fair enough. People could buy the tickets for their own nights out at a discount becaue it's last minute.

But trying "who wants to pay me to be my plus one at the last minute"... you're having a laugh. Unless it's the last ticket to the second coming, I doubt anyone one's interested in just a tenner off a £60 ticket.

mitogoshigg · 22/09/2024 13:23

I would have offered the ticket without mentioning money, if I was accepting the ticket in these circumstances I would have offered to pay for it but selling it is where you went wrong

Nanny0gg · 22/09/2024 13:24

MrTiddlesTheCat · 22/09/2024 12:32

I would have laughed too. You want someone to pay to keep you company.

No. She's seen if someone else would like to go

What a weird take

readysteadynono · 22/09/2024 13:24

It’s not wrong to clearly make people an offer but obviously people might just not want to go that much (or they would have booked tickets themselves). I normally would either sell it on a group (if allowed), contact the seller and ask for it to be resold, or I’d offer it to friends and family for free.

Lalalol · 22/09/2024 13:25

You’re looking for someone to keep you company at short notice. It’s really off to not just give the ticket away. It would be a kind gesture that hopefully cheered someone up and spread good karma. Instead you’ve shown yourself to be mean. Taking £10 off actually makes it more offensive.

Binman · 22/09/2024 13:25

So you want someone to pay £50 to keep you company at an event they weren't going to, and that you wouldn't have asked them to, if your DH could go? I agree with your friend you're taking the piss.

Especially as you offered it for sale to anyone. Is it an event they would have chosen to go to?

The money is spent you can't get it back and you can't expect someone else to pay it for you. You either go alone and lose the £60 ticket money or you offer it free to a friend and lose the £60 ticket money.

Best case scenario is said friend offers you something for it or buys you a drink. In future insure your tickets if it matters so much.

Funkyslippers · 22/09/2024 13:27

I'd have asked people close to me if they wanted to come & let them have the ticket for free

Raspberryripple11 · 22/09/2024 13:28

I think I would’ve just asked “anyone fancy coming along to X? DH is ill so can’t make it”, with no expectation of money. BUT if I was someone taking up the offer I would offer to pay for the ticket.
If I really wanted the money back I would probably try to sell the ticket on social media and then go alone.
Think it also depends on the event though - what is it?

Beth216 · 22/09/2024 13:30

FriYayyy · 22/09/2024 13:15

Or she might mean "you must be joking, why would I want to pay £50 to sit with you all evening catching Covid"

I agree. She might be saying that no one is going to want to spend the night sat next to someone who might have Covid from their husband.

Aysegull · 22/09/2024 13:31

I don’t get it, you’ve spent the money whether or not your husband goes. So to me, it looks like you’re now trying to profit from your husband being unable to make it. I wouldn’t have commented in the group but I would have judged you privately.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 22/09/2024 13:32

£10 off a £60 ticket isn’t much of a discount unless the event was sold out and you knew your friends wanted to go but weren’t able to source a ticket at the time. It’s also very short notice if the event is is next few days and it’s not even like you’re offering a pair so the ticket comes with a caveat that they have to go with you. You should have offered it at a minimum of half price or, if you want the company, for free. Your friends reaction was reasonable.

Ohhawtdang · 22/09/2024 13:33

It’s really not about the price. You can’t return the ticket. The money is lost anyways. You don’t want to go alone.

invite someone. Be nice. The money is gone anyways.

saying you can do me a favour and cover the cost of this ticket I’ll lose for a while £10 off is tight as heck.

Bellyblueboy · 22/09/2024 13:35

Ticketsarenotfree · 22/09/2024 13:04

Tested for COVID of course. And OK fine I guess I'm tight then

The fact that your friend reacted the way she did makes me wonder if you have form for this kind of thing?

Maybe it’s a running joke in the friendship group.

i have a friend who I absolutely know would do this - we would all laugh and roll our eyes at the message. £10 discount - how generous😂

Lemonadeand · 22/09/2024 13:35

Was your friend objecting to spending an evening with someone whose spouse has covid? A sort of “pay £50 and I’ll probably throw in covid for free” kind of offer?

Chenecinquantecinq · 22/09/2024 13:36

Yes you should give it away (unless you are in particularly dire financial circumstances immediately evident to all). I cannot stand people who ask friends for money in this way it's so rude. If you are desperate for money for it sell it quitely don't ask friends/collegues/acquantances for money so crass.

FriYayyy · 22/09/2024 13:37

I think we need to know the event to judge properly

TwistedWonder · 22/09/2024 13:37

You haven’t done anything wrong though I’d have probably offered it at 50% of face value as a start but ended up giving it for free but your friend is rude and immature to laugh at you.

If you're happy to go alone can’t you try a resale site?

Datafan55 · 22/09/2024 13:37

Ticketsarenotfree · 22/09/2024 12:29

So my husband and I had tickets to an event but he can't go because he's got COVID. I said on my group chat that if anyone wanted they could buy it off me at £10 discount. A 'friend' then put a laughing emoji and said I must be joking.

I don't want to go on my own, but I also don't want to lose money. What's the etiquette here, am I supposed to just give the ticket away?

As a PP has said, if you put the pair up, you could ask for a good chunk of the price, but just one is a bit different. It's a lot of money for someone doing you a favour, ie filling in and keeping you company at short notice.

Plus they're quite obviously a second choice: you didn't ask them along in the first place.